Thin walled molded checker



July 14, 1970 D. M. PEEBLES THIN WALLED MOLDED CHECKER Filed Nov. 19, 1968 4 7111111111114 mmumumws FIG. 2

ATTORNEY 1- mm ME M m 40 W w N v find r 3 H ru w H a $1! I Z United States Patent O 3,520,537 THIN WALLED MOLDED CHECKER David Meade Peebles, 325 Marcy Ave, Oxon Hill, Md. 20021 Filed Nov. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 776,874 Int. Cl. A631? 3/02 US. Cl. 273-137 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A checker or like game apparatus including a game board having relief portions on its playing surface to positively locate the checkers or like movable game pieces. The checkers are provided with a thin exterior annular wall, an interior annular wall having a projection axially below the lower end of the exterior wall, an annular top wall bridging the exterior and interior walls, and a depressed central top wall spanning the diameter of the interior wall. The central top wall has a central aperture which can receive a tool to aid in the removal of an in dicia disc which can be disposed in the recess defined in the top wall.

Reference is made to prior copending applications Ser. Nos. 698,853, filed Jan. 18, 1968; 707,677, filed Feb. 23, 1968; and 732,257, filed May 27, 1968 having some subject matter in common with this invention.

The present invention constitutes an improvement and simplilcation of the structures in said prior applications, rendering them more practical and economical to manufacture, and easier to use.

Conventional wooden checkers are quite expensive and therefore are not entirely practical for use in a low cost game apparatus of the type which might be marketed by certain large chain stores. Plastic checkers of solid construction are not satisfactory, somewhat for the same reason. The present invention embodies a checker or game piece which is lightweight and substantially hollow and is also universal in the sense of being adapted to be used on the various types of game boards disclosed in said prior applications as well as the board structures shown in this application.

In general, as disclosed in the prior applications, the overall aim of the invention is to provide a checker type game apparatus which may be used by those who are somewhat handicapped or retarded, small children and the aged. Due to the interlocking engagement of the checkers with the game board relief surface so that the checkers do not tend to slide, the apparatus is adapted to be used in a moving vehicle. It also has educational capabilities for the young in the provision of replaceable disc inserts in the tops of the checkers which may carry numerals, letters, symbols or any desired teaching indicia.

The objectives and advantages of the invention will be further apparent as the description proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a checker game apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a similar sectional view showing a modification.

FIG. 4 is a similar sectional view showing a further modification.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals designate like parts, and in particular referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral 10 designates a checkerboard in its entirety having a fiat rectangular body portion 11 or base formed of a square section of Masonite, hardboard, plastic or other like material. Secured fixedly to the upper face of flat body portion 11 by adhesive or other suitable attaching means are squares 12 of material identical or similar to the material of the body portion 11. The squares 12 are arranged in the familiar checkerboard pattern on the upper face of the body portion 11 and are thirty-two in number, as is well known. In some instances, the elements 12 may be formed integrally with the base or body portion 11 as by molding. In all cases, the squares 12 produce a surface relief effect for the game board with intervening square recesses 13 provided between adjacent elements 12 in both coordinate directions on the square board. The square elements 12 are of a color which will contrast with the color of the body portion 11 so that the checkerboard pattern will stand out boldly. The particular coloring scheme may be varied as desired.

A marginal molding 14 is preferably provided on the body portion 11 surrounding the checker playing area so that the checkers will not slide from the outer rows of recesses 13 which serve to locate the checkers on the board.

A set of checkers in the usual number is included in the game apparatus and to simplify the illustration, only three checkers are shown in the drawing FIGS. 1 and 2. The checkers are identical in construction and are indicated by the numeral 15.

Each checker 15 is preferably molded from plastic and is essentially hollow and relatively thin walled and therefore light and inexpensive, although quite durable. Each checker l5 embodies an outer annular wall 16 whose lower edge during use clears the top faces of the squares 12 by a slight amount, as shown in FIG. 2. The checker is grasped and picked up normally by the fingers engaging the outer wall 16. The checker includes a top wall 17 including a central depressed portion 18 having a central opening 19 of reduced diameter. The upper recess 20 formed by the wall portion 18 and the intervening shallow annular wall 21 is adapted to receive an indicia disc or card, not shown, which may bear certain educational material, such as numbers or letters of the alphabet. This feature will be more fully explained in a following embodiment. The opening 19 facilitates dislodging the disc from the recess 20 Within which it fits snugly.

The checker 15 additionally includes an interior annular wall 22 spaced from and concentric with the outer wall 16 and formed integral with the portion 18 and depending therefrom. The interior wall projects beyond the lower edge of the wall 16 and engages within the recess 13 and supports the checker on the top face of the base or body portion 11. The diameter of the wall 22 is such that the checker will have a rather loose fit within the recess 13 and the degree of clearance may be varied. In all cases, the recess 13 by contacting the interior wall 22 prevents the checker from sliding accidentally from its selected play position on the game board.

As shown also in FIG. 2, two checkers are easily nestable as when forming a king and the interior wall 22 is sized to interfit easily within the recess 20 of an underlying checker.

The game is played with a complete set of the checkers 15 in a conventional manner. The construction of the checkers is economical and requires relatively little material, enabling the checkers to be manufactured inexpensively in much larger sizes than conventional to meet the needs of the handicapped, aged and very young children as discussed in said prior applications. The advantages of the present constructions should be readily apparent particularly in light of the prior application teachings.

FIG. 3 shows a modification wherein the checker or game board 23 is molded in one piece from plastic or the like and is provided at the center of each checker playing space with an integral raised projection 24 of relatively small diameter. The conventional checkerboard pattern may be imprinted on the board in any desired manner. The molded plastic checker 25 in FIG. 3 is essentially the same in construction as the checker 15 except that it has an additional or third interior wall 26 concentrically arranged with an intermediate and outer walls 27 and 28 corresponding to the previously-described walls 22 and 16. The innermost wall 26 is adapted to engage over the projection 24 for centering or locating the checker when the type of board shown in FIG. 3 is employed. The checker 25 may be used with equal facility on the board shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and in this sense is a more universal checker.

The checker 25 includes a top recess 29 to facilitate nesting or stacking, as described, and this recess receives an indicia disc or card 30, as mentioned previously, having any desired educational information thereon. As mentioned, an opening 31 in the depressed top wall 32 may receive the point of a pencil or the like to aid in dislodging the disc 30, as when it is desired to change or reverse the disc which, for example, may have different material printed on its opposite sides.

As in the prior embodiment, the overall rules of play of the game are conventional and need not be described.

FIG. 4 depicts a further modification wherein the plastic checker 33 may be constructed substantially identically with the checker and therefore need not be described again in detail. The checkerboard 34, however, is formed differently and embodies a fiat body portion or base 35 of Masonite or the like similar to the body portion 11 in FIG. 1. Instead of the squares 12, however, thirty-two circular discs 36 are secured to the body portion 35 fixedly by means of adhesive, or otherwise, and these discs are adapted to enter the space within the interior wall 37 of the checker for properly locating the checker in a given play position on the board. In other words, instead of the wall 37 being received within a recess of the board as in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wall 37 fits over a projection, in this case, the circular disc 36. In other respects, the game apparatus in FIG. 4 possesses the same features and advantages for handicapped individuals, the very young and the aged, as enumerated in the prior embodiments. One particular advantage of the checkerboard configuration in FIG. 4 involving the discs 36 is that the marginal molding 14 of the first embodiment is unnecessary.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A checker particularly adapted for use on a recessed checkerboard having a top plane surface and recessed squares, said checker comprising a relatively thin walled molded body which includes an exterior annular wall, an interior annular wall spaced inwardly of the exterior Wall in substantially concentric relation therewith, the

interior wall projecting axially below the lower end of the exterior wall by a distance sufiicient to enable the lower end of the exterior wall to clear said top plane when the lower end of the interior wall is resting within a recessed square, a top wall interconnecting the exterior and interior annular walls, said top wall having a relatively narrow annular shoulder portion bridging the space between the exterior and interior walls and defining a fiat top surface on each checker, and a depressed flat top wall portion inwardly of said shoulder and spanning the diameter of the interior annular wall, said depressed wall portion having a central aperture formed therethrough, the level of said depressed wall portion below the fiat top surface being such that a pair of the checkers may be stacked with the lower end portion of the interior wall of one checker engaging inwardly of the annular shoulder of a second checker and resting on the depressed wall portion of the second checker with the exterior wall of said one checker overlying and slightly clearing the annular shoulder of the second checker concentrically.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 150,735 5/1874 Whitcomb. 486,308 11/1892 Watt. 1,472,657 10/ 1923 Lillard. 2,670,208 2/ 1954 Wales.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1 731,048 5/ 1932 France.

841,559 6/1952 Germany. 499,994 2/1939 Great Britain.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 273-136 

